Filemon arreola
Texas and Kansas, for example, instituted early release programs several years ago to address an exploding prison population. Officials say inmates released early usually were incarcerated for drug offenses or property crimes.Ĭorrections experts say some states were testing early release programs long before the economy soured. This usually excludes sex offenders and murderers, among others. Most early release provisions apply to "low-risk" and "non-violent" inmates.
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"All of the sudden they are thinking: 'Do we really need to lock up so many for such a long period of time?' "It's a big shift, and I think it's coming about because states and counties are having problems with finances," said Doris MacKenzie, a criminologist who specializes in sentencing policy at Pennsylvania State University. Such a move seemed impossible at the height of tough-on-crime sentiment in the 1980s and 1990s. It is often controversial to pass laws that shorten inmates' sentences. Governor Schwarzenegger proposed releasing 27,000 inmates. This year, a panel of federal judges ordered California to reduce its prison population by 40,000 because of overcrowding. In Mississippi, a state with one of the highest incarceration levels, officials abandoned a 180-day cap on the amount of time an inmate's sentence can be shortened. Inmates who break the rules in prison - even once - are not eligible, according a spokesperson from the Colorado Department of Corrections. "We have been very thorough in selecting offenders," Smith said.Ĭolorado loosened its corrections policies this year by letting non-violent offenders earn 12 days off their sentence for each month of good behavior. The state plans to release 1,000 inmates, which could save $5 million a year, said Januari Smith, an Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman. In November, Illinois began early release of inmates who committed non-violent crimes. Oregon now allows low-risk inmates to earn reductions of up to 30 percent off their original sentence instead of 20 percent. Some experts say the slowdown confirms that states are reconsidering their sentencing policies. Department of Justice indicated that in 2008 the growth of the prison population was slower than in any year since 2000. Nationwide, more states are beginning to release thousands of inmates early by increasing "time off" provisions. He should have to do the time he was given."Īs budget deficits grow and the economy tumbles, governors and legislators are cutting costs by allowing inmates, mostly low-risk offenders, to leave prison earlier than laws previously permitted. "Not just for me, but for any other person out there. CNN usually does not identify victims of sexual assault, but Warner decided to reveal her name to voice her concerns with early release provisions. "I don't want him out early," said Warner, 40, who was in an abusive relationship with Arreola.
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In the next few months, his case - and the victim's objections - will go before a judge who will decide whether to reduce Arreola's sentence. His sentence ends November 2022, but under a law passed in Oregon this summer, with good prison behavior as much as 30 percent could be taken off his sentence for coercion and tampering with a witness.Īrreola could benefit from what some legislators call an "oversight" allowing violent offenders to get out early if they have a consecutive term that includes a non-violent crime. Her abuser, Filemon Arreola, now 31, was sentenced to prison in Oregon in 2007 on counts of rape, assault, coercion and tampering with a witness. He raped her, too, and she says she's been in counseling since. He also beat her until welts and bruises covered her body. He once threw her from a moving vehicle, she says. (CNN) - The thought of her convicted attacker getting out of prison early makes Gloria Warner feel sick.